Batman (DC Animated Short)
The short takes place in the DCAU, and it is an interquel set between the flashback that involved Tim Drake's transformation into Joker, Jr. and before the events of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Synopsis: Batman discovers something has happened to his partners, while he doesn't realize the real mystery he's trapped in. Plot: In a flashback, Bruce Wayne has left the theater with his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. When suddenly, they run into a mugger named Joe Chill who demands money and Martha's pearls, when Thomas is trying to cooperate, he ends up shot, as well as Martha, and Chill tells Bruce, "You see that, kid? That's what happens when you try to be a hero." When Bruce woke up, he goes downstairs to find Alfred waiting for him, who tells him that they have a situation, and decides to meet him downstairs, before handing him a key to the piano. While he walks around his manor, he opens his ballerina box, which plays, "Rock-a-Bye Baby". He uses his phone, he receives a message from Vicki Vale at 8:37 PM: "Bruce, it's Vicki. I missed you at the gala last night. Look, I know we're technically not a "thing", but standing me up last minute is not cool. For a philanthropist, you're kind of a jerk sometimes.", with another message at 9:23 PM: "Mr. Wayne? It's Alex Drescher calling from the mayor's office. I just wanted to thank you for your substantial donation to the Lexor City development fund. Metropolis was lucky to have you, Sir." Then he receives a next new message, which says, "Master Bruce, it's Alfred again. I'm so old now, sir. When will you let me die?", much to Bruce's confusement, it appears to be the Joker's voice, but he heard anything about him since he died. Playing the piano, Bruce suits up as Batman, and ventures down into the Batcave, to see Tim Drake as Robin and Alfred. Batman also meets Robin, wondering why he is wearing his uniform after what happened, but Tim wants to help, as he remembers and wants to make up for it, because Gotham needs Batman, and Batman needs Robin, which Batman says, "Fine", as he reluctantly agrees, while Robin walks around, Batman picks up a tape that shows Joker's torture of Robin, experimenting him into a miniature version of him. While, Batman tells Alfred, Joker used some sort of tech he stole when he broke the Royal Flush Gang from Cadmus, as he gained permission from Waller to borrow the equipment to study. Alfred has concerning news that Batgirl failed to report last night, and he is unable to reach Nightwing as well. It could be a coincidence, but it's unlike them not to respond, as the Batcomputer can pinpoint their location". While Batman goes to the radio scanner to scan for crime, he hears a code saying, "23-1-11, minus 1-4-20-15, minus 8-19-9-12, minus 10-10-12", as he decides to save the code to see what it means, he hears reports from Penguin, who vip lounge was blown up at the Iceberg Lounge, he also hears a robbery in Park Row, as he decides to call Green Arrow to handle the robbery. He has new messages from the Batphone, received yesterday at 7:20 PM: "Batman, it's the Question. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to figure one of the Cadmus Files that contained the Royal Flush Gang file, I’ve checked out the others, let me know if it turns up", then hears another new message received at 11:35 PM: "Sir? I've been unable to reach Nightwing and Batgirl. I'm assuming they're patching things up with their relationship but then I have no idea either....please call me when you get this", then he goes to the Bat-Computer to find Batgirl's location, as he activates her location tracker, but it is offline, as he wonders if Nightwing's tracker is online. As he activates his location tracker, he discovers he's in 2768 Roud Court, Bleake Island, Central Gotham, and wonders why he isn't responding, and decides government go to his location, Alfred had prepared the Batwing, as he and Robin enter the Batwing to Nightwing's location. Having arrived in Nightwing's location, they are shocked to discover that Nightwing was killed, so Batman uses the forensics scanner to identify the killer. He uses it to discover he had multiple trauma, as a cervical fracture was his cause of death, he believes he must have been in agony when he died as the killer broke his neck, Batman uses a data recorder to generate Dick's reconstruction to see what he was doing: Batman identifies his 3 main injuries to discover the killer's identity, in the sequence, Nightwing is startled by a silhouette character jumping to his area, Nightwing walks to him greets him, as the character does the same, when suddenly, the person grabs his weapon and fractures his jaw (which is the first injury), then the killer kicks him, while Nightwing shoves him, and the killer starts fighting him, but the killer gain the upper hand by kicking him close to to the garbage, as it appears Dick is trying to reason with the killer, the killer suddenly fights him again and then starts struggling to grab Nightwing, and continued to fight him, but the killer was fast strong, as he grabbed Nightwing's arm and broke it (second injury), when Nightwing was injured, he tried to escape his bat rope, but the killer uses Dick's weapon to slice the rope, causing Dick to hit the metal stairs, fracturing his ribs (third injury), and then Dick hits the ground hard, as he tries to slowly get up, the killer grabs him, pulls him and then snaps his neck, but with Dick badly injured and no longer and threat. Batman wonders why the killer flee the scene, it was because a witness called, Jackie Flynn, a low level criminal and known associate of Penguin witnessed the fight, and decides to visit Penguin. Before he and Robin flee the scene, Batman apologizes to Nightwing for not being there when he needed him, and promises to make Penguin regret it if he had anything to do with it, and they enter the Batjet. Batman and Robin arrive stealthily at the Iceberg Lounge to see Penguin interrogating one of his thugs, Shanks, as he was on security to check bags that have bombs in them, as he decides to have him dropped to his death. Suddenly, Penguin gets a call from his lover, leaving him distracted, as well as his men who are unarmed, which Batman and Robin need as a distraction to take them down. Batman throws a smokebomb at Penguin's feet to grapple him up to interrogate him about Nightwing's death, as Jackie Flynn, his associate was one of the witnesses that watched, but Penguin shouts that he didn’t do it, as he tells him that Jackie was frightened and that he saw Nightwing beaten, and that Batman would be after him, which was the last thing he said, before someone blows him up and half of the Lounge, and tells him that Jackie is in the Morgue. Suddenly, Penguin's men aims their guns at the Dynamic Duo, as the Batwing is ready to target threats, Batman has Penguin's men knocked out and tranquillized, leaving Penguin defeated in outrage, as he shouts, "What are you doing, wake up, idiots, (looks to Batman) Wake up, you idiot!", which is very odd to Batman. As Batman and Robin enter the Batjet, Penguin tells him that if he finds the person for blowing up the Lounge, he hopes they kill each other. While Robin stays in the Batwing, Batman (with help from Gordon, Bullock and Montoya) identifies shrapnel in one of the bodies. He identifies the first victim as Charlie Vaughn, mid-ranking Penguin enforcer and friend to Jackie Flynn, he discovers a piece of the detonator was lodged in the adductor muscle of Vaughn's thigh, he discovered another detonator fragment lodged in his skull. Batman asks Gordon for the Coroner tape reporting on an Office Autopsy Report, a voice saying: "Gotham City Coroner's Office Autopsy Report: Performed 4:30pm October 23 by Dr. McCarthy. No assistant present. Entry 1: So what do we have here? A bombing, great. Third one this month. Victims are three Caucasian males, all mid-to-late twenties. Cause of death: well, murder, obviously it's Gotham. I'm so bored of murder. Someone please fall off a roof. OK, victims show signs of overpressurization and internal bleeding caused by the detonation of an explosive device. Like we haven’t seen that before. There are shrapnel woods all over the bodies. I should take a closer look", Gordon gives it to Batman, who plays it again while hearing Bullock whistle "Rock-a-Bye Baby", the same voice says: "Entry 2: Seems at least one of the victims survived the initial blast, and then bled out slowly due to shrapnel wounds in the shoulder and abdomen. Nasty way to go, very cliched." While Batman plays it again, he keeps hearing music of "Rock-a-Bye Baby", while Montoya asked if he couldn’t sleep, Batman asks her about the music, Montoya states, "That's the way music goes", Batman says, "Hmm", as he plays the recorder with the same voice saying: "Entry 3: I'm unable to confirm cause of death on one of the bodies. It seems this fellow was simultaneously hit by the explosion and a piece of debris lodging itself in his skull. I've never actually seen that before. Well done, my friend, well done, indeed. Oh yes, and there's a shrapnel wound in the thigh too.", Batman stares at Bullock whistling the tune, as he says, "Hell of a night, ain’t it? I figured we'd want you to see that", Batman says, "Why would Gordon want me to?", Bullock smirks saying, "Oh, that's what I was wondering", before walking off, Batman plays the recorder once again with McCarthy speaking once again: "Entry 4: Well, this is a surprise. The shrapnel's not just exploded furniture and drywall. I think there's a piece of the bomb itself inside the third victim's solius. There's another shrapnel wound in the chest. They've probably all get pieces inside of them. I can't wait 'till morning, I'm gonna whack these piñatas and see if any more candy falls out.", suddenly, Batman hears the Joker's voice on the recorder saying: "Gotham City Coroner's Office Autopsy Report. Performed 4:25 pm October 23 by Dr. J Reko, no assistant present. They're dead, Bats, and it's all your fault.", Batman drops the recorder, Gordon asks if anything is wrong, Batman discovers the victim in the bag as Jackie Flynn, he discovered the detonator fragment buried in the manibrium sterni, as he also discovers a piece of the fragment cut through the victim's solius. Batman borrows a key from a safe to open a morgue that contained the third and final victim, Tony Flynn, Jackie's brother, not a target, but collateral damage. He discovered part of the bomb's detonator lowered in the abdomen, and a detonator fragment lodged in the victim's clavicle. The fragments are twisted, mangled, but he could use the Batcomputer to simulate them to their original shape. He could identify the detonator and the serial number, he discovered the device was administered to CityVision Demolitions. As they are demolishing an old sewer system beneath Founder's Island, which could be the killer's hideout, if he targets the scanners in the area, he could pick up Batgirl's transmitter. He decrypts Batgirl's scanner: "Alfred...Batman...in a sewer...it's a trap.", she's alive, but in danger, Gordon is worried about Barbara, and wants Bullock and Montoya to let him know if she's alive, while Gordon attempts to wish Batman luck, he finds him vanish much to his frustration. Batman and Robin arrive in the sewer system that has been abandoned for sometime, whoever trapped Batgirl may have preparations for Batman. Robin stays behind in the Batmobile, as Batman enters the sewers. When Batman takes three steps, he hears Joker's voice in the megaphone: "Well, here we are, together again. Haven’t you realized? We’re inseperstable. I've got something for you", while Batman enters the sewer system, he looks around to see Killer Croc lurking through a hole, when he arrives at the spot, he sees Batgirl in a cage, and Joker speaks: "Ta-da! Your gift. I know, I know. I've gone a little bit overboard with the packaging.", as Batman looks around, he fires his grappling gun at the cage to rescue Batgirl, only to be caged, as Joker speaks: "Batman and Batgirl, together at last!" Suddenly, Batgirl wakes up to see Batman trapped, she tells him he's just in time for her daring escape. She followed the trail like Robin said, led down here. Whoever it was she didn’t see them coming. She questions, "This graffiti...some kind of Joker copycat, maybe?", and Joker speaks: "(imitates buzzer)Wrong! And who are you calling copycat, Batgirl?", she tells Batman they need to get out of here, Batman tries to pull a lever to open their cages, as he tries to open a gearbox that might get them out of here, but Batgirl believes there's no power left. Joker speaks again: "Ahh, such insight. I don't know how we'll get by without her", Batman tries to fix the gearbox with help from Batgirl to repair some cogs, as they hear Croc coming, they try to hurry, only to end up trying to electrocute themselves. As Batgirl tries to work, Killer Croc attacks her from behind, only for Batman to electrocute Croc. As Joker jokes he smell gumbo through the speaker, she wonders who invited him, while Joker speaks: "Oh, Batgirl. I'd kill you myself, but sometimes you need a little help from your friends.", as Batgirl works on her gearbox, Batman gets a cog for her, and tells her, "We're getting out of here", Joker speaks: "Aww, bless your little heart, you actually think she's going to survive this.", Batman gets her another cog for her gearbox, and then tries to get one more, only for Croc to attack him again, but Batman electrocutes him again, and Joker speaks: "Croc? Croc? He only wanted to be loved, Batman. Who's the real monster here?", Batman finally gets the last cog to free him and Batgirl, as they try to escape, Batgirl is suddenly attacked by Croc, and Batman tries to save her, when suddenly someone knocks out Batman leaving Batgirl to be killed by Croc. Batman then realizes he is standing in the elevator of Arkham Asylum, with Robin at his side, Batman asks Robin what happened, Robin stated, "The Commissioner is in mourning, we failed, I'm sorry, Bruce, but there wasn't enough time to save Barbara.", as Batman looks down in shame having failed to save Barbara from Croc. Characters: *Bruce Wayne/Batman (Kevin Conroy) *Tim Drake/Robin (Scott Menville) - spends his time working with Batman on the mystery involving Nightwing's death and Batgirl's disappearance. Until it turns out at the end, he was actually part of the dream. *Dick Grayson/Nightwing (Loren Lester) - was killed by a mysterious assailant, who was revealed to be Ras al Ghul near the end. Until he turns out alive in the real world *Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Tara Strong) - was kidnapped by Killer Croc when she got a distress signal to Robin that Batman sent her there, until to be killed by Croc when she was held towards Batman's Cage. Until it turns out she was alive in the real world *Commissioner Gordon (Michael McCohonnie, replacing Bob Hastings) - works with Batman on Penguin, Nightwing's murder and the victims of the Iceberg Lounge *Renee Montoya (Alana Ulbach) - aids Gordon *Harvey Bullock (Robert Costanza) - aids Gordon *Alfred Pennyworth (Jonathan Freeman, replaces Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) - informs Batman about Nightwing and Batgirl's disappearance *Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Adrienne Barbeau) - sends a message to Bruce in the crime scanner in his dream saying, "Wake up, Bruce", implying that Ra's has trapped him in the dream world *Clark Kent/Superman (George Newbern) - appears at the end alongside Nightwing, Batgirl and Alfred watching Bruce wake up from his nightmare *Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg) - appears at the end alongside Nightwing, Batgirl and Alfred watching Bruce wake up from his nightmare *Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Scott Rummel) - appears at the end alongside Nightwing, Batgirl and Alfred watching Bruce wake up from his nightmare *Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Kin Shriner) - appears at the end alongside Nightwing, Batgirl and Alfred watching Bruce wake up from his nightmare Villains: *Ra's al Ghul (David Warner) - put Batman in a a trance, so he could be forced to see the future of what would happen in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, and revealed to be the killer of Thomas and Martha Wayne. *Joker (Mark Hamill) - his voice can be heard through Bruce's telephone, a hospital recorder, and a megaphone announcer. Until near the end, he is in Arkham Cell #425, where Batman assumed Joe Chill was in the cell, revealing that he was Ras al Ghul *Penguin (Dee Bradley Baker) - interrogated by Batman and Robin about the person blowing up half of the Iceberg Lounge and three of his best men (including Jackie Flynn, who witnessed the attacker killing Nightwing) *Killer Croc (Kevin Michael Richardson) - kills Batgirl in a cage she was trapped in Trivia: *The film is a prequel/interquel to Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, to foreshadow Tim's transformation into ??? *This is similar to Batman Arkham VR. *Major twists revealed: **Batman assumed Joe Chill was the killer that killed Nightwing, and blew up Penguin's best men and blew up the Iceberg Lounge. But it turns out Joker was in the cell, he also reveals to Batman about the Cadmus tech he would use on Robin, during his torture. **While Robin was downstairs in the Batcave, Joker was calling Batman on his phone. And when Robin stayed behind in the hospital, Joker sent a recording to Batman. And when Robin stayed in the Batjet, Joker was speaking through the megaphone. The ultimate twist happens when Robin was staying behind while Batman looks through the Arkham cellmates Scarface, Zsasz and Chill, whose cell was actually Joker's, Batman discovered that ??? **There were several hints that Batman was dreaming, such as the song, "Rock-a-Bye Baby" playing, Penguin shouting wake up, Batman deciphering a code that says, "Wake up, Bruce!", and an alarm clock when Batman is using the elevator in Arkham with Gordon, Bullock and Montoya. Category:DC Animated Shorts